Bookstores in London are reportedly removing coffee shops and free Wi-Fi from their premises – a seemingly bold move at a time when the internet and designer caffeine are ubiquitous. In doing so they are reversing a trend that was once seen as the saviour of the bookselling business.
The thinking is that these diversions have become the main attraction rather than a side business, with customers more likely to find a barista than a book lover behind the counter. In the UAE, many bookstores – too many, in fact – devote most of their space to toys, souvenirs and colouring books.
As any lover of the written word knows, it’s the quaint, musty, old-fashioned shops where one is likely to find not just the best books, but employees who can make great reading recommendations. By removing the distractions, the British bookstores may be seeking to offer a new habitat to an endangered species – the true bibliophile.
